High Violet

I go back to 2003's Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers in my admiration for this Great American Band. The track "90-Mile Water Wall" alone moved this band upward in my stack of ridiculously-copious buying binge of cd's (and that song remains to this day in my all-time-favorite Top 10 Ever). Then came 2005's Alligator. Holy Moly!! And yeah, I went back and caught up with the album Cherry Tree. AND THEN-- and then came their high-water mark in 2007 with "Boxer"! I couldn't believe these guys weren't common knowledge, household names (off my big-word-of-mouth alone and burning tracks for family friends neighbors strangers). And yes, I knew "Boxer" would be hard to match; so yes, I was prepared for a little disappointment. I pre-ordered my copy of "High Violet" and counted the days til arrival. On the first couple of listens I was 'hey, wait a minute here'. This is not MY The National. Matt Berninger vocals were not front-and-center here, but a tad more mumbled and in equality with the instruments. And was that a chorus?! Had The National ever incorporated a chorus of backing vocals to this extreme? After maybe 5 straight listens I pulled the cd from my player and went on to my next anticipated purchases (Band of Horses and Horse Feathers). But the songs that kept floating to the surface of my no-music workdays were from "High Violet". And I read a review from Paste magazine and, taking their advice, I began re-listening but starting with track 3 "Anyone's Ghost". A new album emerged. I'm not saying that the first 2 tracks are throw-aways because they're not. "Anyone's Ghost" was my early favorite. Today and the past week I've become entangled in track 5 "Afraid of Everyone". Originally this was a song I mentally bypassed as it played. And that was because it was dense and intense, complex and layered. I began to ingest it in bits and pieces. The rest of the world can curl up and fade away, come to a standstill now when this track plays. And Sufjan Stevens contribution adds to the absorbing mystery. Now the album start to finish is the only thing I've been able to listen to although I know I need to 'move on'. Still here are the trademark Berninger lyrics: sharp wit; dark and sad yet with a backhand of sly humor blink-and-you've-missed-it. Still here are the sets of brothers' great chops (and the drums! this time out!!). Still here are the horns and the strings, beautiful and elevating. The juggling act that bands must perform is this: stay true to their original sound and be accused of "not growing". Grow and be accused of "forgetting their roots". The National's "High Violet" stradles and juggles this conundrum to perfection. Sorry I ever doubted this amazing cast of characters. In parting: "I'll have my head in the oven so you'll know where I'll be." Da-amn! In addition (AN UPDATE): recently saw these guys in a small venue in Tulsa. So glad I didn't see them on a big stage. Because Matt Berninger was out of control, in the best & craziest of ways, out in the crowd.. That experience cemented these guys as MY BAND. The audience was reverent & so into the band/music... cause normally you go to a concert & the crowd only gets excited on the radio hits. The audience this time knew the words to every song. EVERY song. We were whipped into a frenzy from Song 1. And they never let up. Such a good thing to be a part of. Thanks The National. I love you all the more.

"High Violet" is a dark, mysterious record. It often sounds subdued, and it is rarely joyous... yet it is not morose. The reverberating tones speak in an overall way to inner demons and conflicts, but the percussive rhythms are a heartbeat full of life, the guitarwork and arrangements propel the story with satisfying detail, and the voice of Matt Berninger is the soul of a true musical mansion. This is the music of long days spent examining half-lit corridors. The pace changes incrementally as the recording moves along. Softly picked and strummed guitars provide punctuation for the story at the onset, and become more forceful as things build, as the listener explores various side doors off of these hallways. Here and there, surprises are uncovered and the pulse picks up dramatically. So like many life journeys, the album is a journey of ups and downs, with more realizations and more uncovered richness as it goes along. Some may claim this album lacks momentum, but this is not so. "High Violet" has a very strong pulse. "High Violet" may not pack the immediacy of "Alligator"; if it does, it does so in a more subtle way. Intensity flows through every track. From start to finish, this CD seems more stylistically consistent than "Alligator" or "Boxer". While the record builds as it goes, Berninger's vocal range expands from his usual baritone into some upper register singing by the final tracks. For fans of this group, there are many instant classics: the dreamy "England", the moody "Terrible Love", the drama of "Runaway"... every song has it's own qualities of greatness, and all are worthy of mention. Everything about this album is solid. It is a masterpiece. The National is to be commended for such an exquisite creation. It is a cohesive band, truly the sum of all its parts. Fans should be very satisfied with "High Violet", and new listeners will find the album rewarding as well. And 4AD Records is to be commended for adding The National to its stable of high-quality artists! Don't walk, but run to your CD store and buy this one. Then, settle in for a quiet time of contemplation, dreams, and soulful exploration of Emotion's private places. This record is remarkably easy to get caught up in, and for me, that is why, in time, I believe it may be considered a classic.

Le meilleur album du groupe The National. Toutes de bonnes chansons.

Sehr gutes Album

C'è qualcosa che mi affascina irremidiabilmente nel sound dei National. Quel'umore umbrattile che caratterizza i loro brani, quel modo di accarezzare la melodia in punta di piedi. Quel saper essere energici senza strafare, quel senso di grazia che pervade ogni loro composizione, quell'atmosfera uggiosa e malinconica che Berninger sa creare come pochi con quella fantastica voce che si ritrova. C'è chi li accusa di aver codificato un sound e di averlo proposto in modo identico album dopo album da "Alligator" fino a "Sleep well beast" (perchè che con l'ultimo "I'm easy to find" qualcosa sia cambiato è cosa che anche i detrattori più accaniti non possono negare). Forse è vero, il sound dei National lo riconosci tra mille altri al primo ascolto. Sicuri che sia un difetto? Io no. Cosa aggiunge quindi questo "High violet" rispetto a quanto la band ha fatto con album come "Alligator" e "Boxer"? Stilisticamente poco, ma aggiunge altre 11 meravigliose canzoni a un canzoniere già incredibilmente emozionante. Forse ancor più sofisticati, ancor più raffinati e minimalisti. E magari chi ha amato il lato più energico della band avrà qualcosa da ridire. Ma i National non sono mai stati una band da watt e tutto spiano; mai stata una band da impatto immediato. E "High violet" è senza dubbio l'album meno immediato della band; ma cresce ascolto dopo ascolto svelando la sua intima bellezza. Un brano tanto per fare un nome? Il penultimo, "England", forse il più smaccatamente ruffiano, fatto apposta per entrare sotto pelle con quel suo incedere progressivo che però non esplode mai lasciandoci in attesa per l'intera durata del pezzo senza però lasciare l'amaro in bocca... un pezzo splendido. Grande album senza mezze misure.

great album however sound quality is a bit poor

Belo disco!!!